Glossodoris pallida

Glossodoris pallida is a species of a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

Glossodoris pallida
Dani Beach, Kenya
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
Superfamily:
Doridoidea
Family:
Chromodorididae
Genus:
Glossodoris
Species:
G. pallida
Binomial name
Glossodoris pallida
Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828[1]

Distribution

This species was described from the Red Sea. It occurs in the tropical Indian Ocean including the African coast and Madagascar. It is apparently replaced by Glossodoris buko in the central Indo-Pacific Ocean.[2]

Description

Glossodoris pallida is semi-translucent-white all over with a thin yellow-margined mantle. It also has opaque white patches on its upper mantle. Both its gills and rhinophores are also white.

Ecology

This species, like many other nudibranchs, feeds on sponges. It has also been seen feeding on grey-black sponges from the genus Cacospongia.

Glossodoris pallida, like other Chromodorid nudibranchs, stores chemicals it gains from the sponges it eats within its body. These chemicals are unpalatable to fish and other creatures, making the nudibranch much less likely to be eaten.[3]

References
  1. Rüppell E. & Leuckart F.S. (1828-1830). Mollusca [in] Atlas zu des Reise im Nordlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell. 1. Abth. Zoologie. 5. Neue wirbellose Thiere des Rothen Meers. Frankfurt, H.L. Brönner pp. 1-22, pl. 1-12 [1828], pp. 23-47 [probably 1830].
  2. Matsuda S.B. & Gosliner T.M. (2018). Glossing over cryptic species: Descriptions of four new species of Glossodoris and three new species of Doriprismatica (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae). Zootaxa. 4444(5): 501-529.,page(s): 513, figs 2E, 6C, D, 8E, F, 9A–E
  3. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Dec 6). Comment on Glossodoris pallida from Vanuatu by Vinka Stenhouse. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney, accessed 14 December 2009.
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